1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus, a control method, and a storage medium, and more particularly to an image pickup apparatus that continuously takes images to obtain multiple images, a control method therefor, and a storage medium storing a program for implementing the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, image processing techniques that enable images having a face with an expression desired to be remained is obtained from among continuously-taken images.
For example, face images are detected from images, and facial expression evaluation values corresponding to respective facial expressions are calculated from the detected face images, and facial expressions are determined based on the relationship between the facial evaluation values and threshold values provided for the facial evaluation values (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2009-253848). Also, there has been proposed a method that an image pickup means is provided for continuously obtaining a plurality of images, and the images are ranked using at least one of the following conditions, a state of a main subject, image composition, and a state of human faces as a predetermined condition (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2009-272740).
However, according to the invention described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2009-253848, because threshold values are used for determination, facial expressions are determined in only second stages.
Also, the invention described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2009-272740 has the problem that the start timing of image pickup which is information reflecting the intent of a user is not taken into consideration although states of main subjects are taken into consideration. Specifically, even when each of a plurality of images that have been continuously taken are evaluated, and a highest ranked image is selected, this does not always suit to a user. For example, even when an image taken immediately after a release button for starting image pickup is pressed by a user is given a lower evaluation than an image taken several images later, there is only a small difference between them. In this case, the difference does not raise a problem for the user, and it can be thought that an image taken near the time at which the release button is intentionally operated by the user is likely to suit the user.
Thus, the conventional arts have the problem that an image selected from continuously-taken images is not always an image suited to a user.